Labour ditch candidate after “Dance on Thatcher’s grave” comment

The Labour Party has dropped Chris Herriot as their candidate for the Pill Ward byelection on Newport Council. This follows comments by him emerging on YouTube about Lady Thatcher where he says “the bitch is dead” and that he “is prepared to dance on her grave.” Mr Herriot was previously a member of Arthur Scargill’s Socialist Labour Party.

Given his odious comments it is welcome that the Labour Party have removed him. However it makes it all the harder for them to justify allowing others who have made similar comments remaining in place.

Mr Herriot is a lecturer at De Montfort University in Leicester. His job is described as follows:

Senior Lecturer and and Programme Leader for BA (Hons) in Youth and Community Development and the BA (Hons) in Working with Young People and Young People’s Services.

So while he may have missed out on a chance to become a councillor Mr Herriot can comfort himself that he will still have some influence on local government – not only in Newport but more widely.

His lectures in how to “empower” young people by teaching them about “oppression, society and social policy” then allow the message to be spread as his graduates secure posts as Youth Workers for local councils.